Strength training 'vital for older women'

Older women need to undertake muscle-strengthening and resistance exercises in later life in order to ensure they do not succumb to increased frailty as they age.

This was the key finding of a study carried out at the University at Buffalo in the US, which was published in the journal Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics.

Studying the experiences of women aged over 75, it found those who undertook muscle strengthening exercises were able to keep the effects of ageing at bay for longer.

Machiko Tomita, one of the lead authors of the study, said: “Frailty progresses with ageing, but older women who engage in a high level of daily physical activity can reverse certain characteristics related to ageing, such as slow walking and decreased function."

However, she added, frailty will still set in after the age of 75, except in those women who have started at a much younger age to build up their muscle strength.

The study found that women aged between 60 and 74 tend not to do enough walking, although a daily prescribed 10,000 steps is more than is necessary.